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[Sponsored Report] Co-living, a Growing Trend in Korean Neighborhoods

July 19,2018

Co-living is a growing trend in the shared accommodation space that offers the comfort of living in quality homes with communal life. Co-living spaces provide housekeeping and maintenance services, such as cleaning and laundry, so that the residents can optimize their work-life balance, and also allow them to freely interact with other co-residents at various communal spaces within the building.
Evolving from ‘co-working’ spaces, where young professionals share the same office space and work together, the concept of ‘co-living’ refers to a kind of residence-style apartments that is designed to bring a diverse group of creative, locally and globally-minded people to live together. Every tenant enjoys a fully-furnished private studio unit with a bathroom and small kitchenette along with large communal areas including office space, gym, child-care facilities, and library. Co-living spaces are, in a sense, high-end dormitories for adults that provide services and amenities including furniture, furnishings, and appliances, and at the same time, also strengthen community values.

How are the Co-living Housings Overseas?
Co-living is already an emerging trend around major cities in the United States, Japan and Britain. With the new millennial generation moving into urban centers despite the rising cost of living, the co-living is quickly becoming a popular solution for the youngsters who want to live in the urban center but cannot necessarily afford it.

Locally in Korea, Kolon House Vision – COMMON Life will launch it’s flagship co-living residence called “Treehouse” in Yeoksam area by the Gangnam financial district. Planning to open in November, Treehouse offers private units starting from 5 pyeong at a relatively low-cost and bigger unit size option in comparison to other popular co-living spaces overseas.

The price of co-living housing may seem expensive compared to the typical unit rental in Korea; however, considering all the inclusive amenities and quality services that Treehouse provides to the tenants, such as regular cleaning service, workspace usage, security, and building management, etc, the cost is reasonable. What also distinguishes Treehouse from other apartments is it’s own unique smartphone application through which the residents can access at anytime to check and control their private units.

Co-living House Designed by COMMON Life: Treehouse

Treehouse was designed and built by COMMON Life in order to meet the fast-growing demand for co-living spaces in Korea. Treehouse introduces a new type of lifestyle that allows residents to interact with one another by sharing space, culture, and ideas.

According to Ms. Melody Song, the Treehouse architect, “We wanted to design a new form of residence based on the idea of coexistence. We sought to bring young and creative professionals together so that not only can they find true relaxing moments from their busy lives at Treehouse, but also get inspired from one another.”

The very first co-living space in Korea, Treehouse by COMMON Life, will open in November, 2018 in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul. In addition to laundry and cleaning services, Treehouse also offers a variety of programs including yoga, meditation, leather crafting, etc in collaboration with young Korean start-ups. For example, NEiVEE, which has often provided service for WeWork, is offering luxury car share service, while Mylo is curating weekly fitness programs. Furthermore, Notefolio plans to hold cooking and art classes, along with Steak Video organizing monthly movie nights at Treehouse’s communal spaces so that the like-minded residents can create their own unique community life and culture.

[Editor's Note] It is to be noted that the following has been written by a providing company, and that Korea JoongAng Daily has not changed the contents in any manner.